World Economic Forum warns of growing cyber risks in 2025
The World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025, released on Monday, highlights escalating complexities in cyberspace, driven by rapid technological advances, geopolitical uncertainty, and growing supply chain vulnerabilities.
These challenges are deepening disparities between developed and emerging economies, widening gaps across sector and straining both large and small organisations.
The report identifies key concerns, with 54% of large organisations citing supply chain interdependencies as the primary barrier to achieving cyber resilience. Geopolitical tensions are exacerbating risks, with one in three CEOs expressing fears over cyber espionage and intellectual property theft. Additionally, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are creating a paradox: while 66% of organisations expect AI to significantly impact cybersecurity, only 37% have processes in place to assess AI tool security.
“Cyberspace is more complex and challenging than ever,” said Jeremy Jurgens, the managing director of the World Economic Forum. “Collaboration between public and private sectors is crucial to secure the benefits of digitalization for all.”
The report also highlights workforce challenges, with two-thirds of organisations facing a critical skills gap. Since 2024, the deficit has grown by 8%, leaving only 14% of organisations confident in their current cybersecurity talent.
Emerging threats, including generative AI-powered cyberattacks, are fuelling concerns, with 47% of organisations citing advanced scams and ransomware as a top worry. Regulatory fragmentation further complicates the landscape, creating compliance hurdles for 76% of surveyed security leaders.
The report calls for a shift from cybersecurity to cyber resilience, saying proactive approaches to mitigate risks and ensure operational continuity.
The findings aim to equip global leaders with insights for fostering resilience in an increasingly volatile digital landscape.
The report comes ahead of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025, taking place in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, from January 20 to 24, which convenes global leaders under the theme, Collaboration for the Intelligent Age.
BUSINESS REPORT